Khamenei, Haman, and a Purim for the Ages
March 2, 2026This evening, Jews around the world will celebrate Purim, one of the narrowest escapes and greatest triumphs in biblical history. Around 2,500 years ago, Esther and her uncle Mordecai thwarted Haman’s scheme to convince King Ahasuerus to slaughter all the captive Jews in Persia. The skill with which these heroes staved off destruction has heartened Jews and haunted their enemies ever since.
One person who will not join the Purim festivities is the modern Haman, Ali Khamenei. Along with several of his top subordinates, the supreme leader of Iran died Saturday morning in the first minutes of a ferocious Israeli-American onslaught. Like Haman, Khamenei made fundamental strategic mistakes that cost him dearly. Iran’s fate will depend on if his successors learn from his errors.
Haman and Khamenei achieved spectacular successes. Haman became one of the most powerful men in the Persian empire; on Oct. 6, 2023, the ayatollah looked like one of the more effective hard power strategists alive. His network of terrorist henchmen grew across the region and terrified his neighbors. His arsenal of missiles and drones ballooned so quickly that he could export them to Russia, which along with China backed his moves.
The "Great Satan" in America seemed incapable of responding effectively, too. For decades, the United States had blocked aspiring hegemons in the region, but for the most part it sputtered impotently as Iran backed Bashar al-Assad in Syria, the Houthis in Yemen, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and militias across Iraq. The only serious setback had been the death of Qassem Soleimani.
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https://freebeacon.com/columns/khamenei-haman-and-a-purim-for-the-ages/
